A man who practices spirituality told me that when we pray fervently for something,we receive it as what we release in the universe,comes back to us,provided we are in a calm state of mind.The results of our prayer can’t reach us if we reach agitated.If we are nervous and agitated while praying, but pray fervently, and later calm down with time, does our prayer materialize after we calm down, of course in its own time?
—Sneha, India
You are blessed to have a spiritual friend to talk with about such things. And what he says may be true — at least some of the time. Paramhansa Yogananda did say that God answers all prayers, but restless ones only a little bit.
Pray with love, and receive with love. Swami Kriyananda used to quote St Augustine, “Our Hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
Pray and meditate to feel deeper, spiritual calmness, and then when you are facing a serious need, you can pray with inner peace, and surrender. Do your best, even in prayer, and then leave the results in God’s hands. If the need persists, pray again the next day, etc., and also affirm that a solution is coming to you.
Our lives are affected by the many variables of our karma, created over innumerable lifetimes. So, even if we pray “perfectly” for something, we may not see the results we desire, because the karma blocking it was even stronger still. Or perhaps our soul needs an important spiritual lesson or “gift” that can only come through this test. That is why Lahiri Mahasaya said to solve all problems through Kriya Yoga, because it can both serve to mitigate our karma, and to uplift us in body, mind and soul.
Pray to be transformed in God’s love, no matter what happens outwardly. Sister Gynamata, Paramhansa Yogananda’s foremost female disciple, felt a strong karma coming toward her and she knew intuitively it could not be stopped. So, instead of cringing before it, she prayed, “Lord, change no circumstance of my life, change me!”
More prayer help here:
- Answered Prayers: Learning from Paramhansa Yogananda’s Whispers
